Greed
by NeverEndNeverland
Summary: Starting from "The Curse of the Black Pearl" onwards. This is the story of Millicent Goodwin, and how she has gotten herself wrapped up in pirates and curses. [HBxOC] (Hate to love. Romance builds.)
1. Prologue

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

PROLOGUE

For three days, a young 20-year-old woman had lived in the streets of this small, port town.

For three days, she had clothed herself in weathered and worn rags in an attempt to hide herself amongst the townspeople. Although the blade's edge was dull and nicked, the cutlass strapped to her waist stopped anyone from approaching or taking advantage of the young woman. Her days were spent scavenging for food while her nights were spent trying to locate a well enough shelter on the street to rest.

Her past was a mystery to the local citizens, no one knew who she was or where she came from. She was just some mysterious beggar woman who turned up upon the port, shockingly well trained in swordplay as on her first night, she publicly defended herself against some drunk sailors. What was known from the small talk she would make was that she had spent the past two years searching, she wouldn't say what for, and yet has decided to stay put. This town was on the brink of prospering, she could tell, and she wanted to be there when they started making money. This money could aid her in whatever plan it was she was cooking up in her mind, to find whatever it was she was searching for.

News spread around that the new Governor of this port was looking for some extra help around his estate, the mansion that sat at the highest point of the town. On her fourth day, she made herself as presentable as possible. The woman had gathered some clothes through some less than noble methods, it was a faded brown skirt, an off white shirt, and a tan bodice to be laced in the front. She had cleaned herself in an isolated cove on the island, making sure to tie back her long, wavy black hair out of her eyes so that she could present herself nicely to the Governor. By midday, she was walking towards the Governor's mansion. It was a tiring walk, but it was nothing she couldn't handle with ease.

"Welcome, may I ask what your business is here?" Asked the man who opened the entrance door. He stood composed, with a powdered wig and an olive colored coat and matching trousers.

"I'm here to inquire about a position in the Governor's household." The man seemed to contemplate this for a moment, his expression changing to a look of surprise for a mere moment, before smoothly gesturing for her to enter the noble home.

"This way, please."

The woman took but a moment to marvel at the immaculate architecture of the mansion's main hall before she made to keep up with the man who led her through the building. Everything was so clean and well put together, some things made with colors and materials she had nearly forgotten existed. She was brought to a room in the west wing of the mansion. Inside, the left wall was filled with more than enough books for her to consider reading for the rest of her life, although she wasn't much of a well-learned reader anyway. Directly across from the door she entered through was a large, clear window, overlooking the town and bay. On her right was a desk, littered with papers, and a middle-aged man in a proper black wig sat behind it. Looking towards her and her escort, he smiled kindly, to which she was not used to receiving from people.

"Excuse me, Governor Swann, but this woman would like to ask for a job in the house if there is any available position."

"Thank you, Walter, I'll take it from here. Please, return to your duties."

The man bowed to the Governor, who stood up upon their entry, then towards her, and then he left while quietly closing the door behind him.

"Please, take a seat, miss." Governor Swann gestured towards one of the chairs before his desk. The seat was made from the same type of wood as the desk, upholstered in a soft, dark colored fabric. Without hesitation, she made her way and sat comfortably in the cushions. He sat down at the same time as her. "As you must know, I am Weatherby Swann, the King's Governor here, in Port Royal." He paused, allowing her a moment to introduce herself.

"Millicent G-" she mistakenly stumbled over her words. "Excuse me. Millicent Goodwin."

"Well, Miss Goodwin, what would you say your skills include?"

"I'm fair at cooking, sir. And cleaning, but I prefer to take care of the kitchen." She wanted to keep out the swordplay part of her skills, as it isn't proper.

"I suppose it would make sense to place you in there, then." He smiled. "And perhaps, you could help Estrella, one of our other maids, take care of my daughter, Elizabeth. So long as you are comfortable doing so."

"Whatever you would need me to do, sir, I gladly will do it."

"Very well." He grinned. "Starting this afternoon, you can start moving your things in to the staff quarters. I'll have Estrella show you to the room the two of you will share."

"Thank you so much, Governor. I greatly appreciate it." Millicent grinned nodding her head in thanks. She stood up once he did so she could leave to gather her remaining belongings she discretely left in the cove she bathed in earlier when he stopped her for a moment.

"Oh, and forgive me if this is too bold, but, might I ask what happened to your face?"

Millicent halted in her steps and gently ran a finger over the pale scar upon her left eyebrow. It led from her brow bone, around her eye, down her cheek.

"'Tis nothing, but from an accident in my youth."

"Very well." Governor Swann paused with a small smile. "Welcome to the estate."


	2. Chapter One

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER ONE

 _Eight Years Later_

Today was a day of anticipation, there were a lot of things to be expected to happen, expected to be said. Millicent was in shock when she and Estrella were told about what happened earlier that afternoon.

Hearing about the newly appointed Commodore James Norrington asking for Elizabeth Swann's hand in marriage, her fainting spell due to the constriction of the corset leading to the fall from the battlements. How she survived that drop into the rocky waters was a wonder in itself. Then came the story of the pirate, who saved her life from drowning but then used her life as a way of escape. Sounded just like some other random buccaneer of the high seas, down on his luck and needing to get away and start anew. Ultimately, he was captured by the King's Royal Navy, Commodore Norrington tracking him down to Mr. Brown's Blacksmithing shop.

It was in the evening that the two maids were finally able to have the time alone with Elizabeth Swann, daughter of the Governor. The pair were dressed in the same skirts, with maroon sleeves, a white apron, and bonnet atop their heads, the usual uniform. They had readied Elizabeth for bed, preparing her sheets and dressing her properly in her nightgown. After finishing with leaving Elizabeth's light brown hair down so she could rest easy, Millicent had moved to the fireplace, carefully transferring hot coals from the fireplace to the iron bed warmer with a pair of tongs. Just as she finished, Estrella took it from her.

"There you go, miss." Estrella stated, folding it underneath the comfort of her bed, tidying the sheets at Elizabeth's feet at the process. Millicent went to gather what remains of Elizabeth's clothes from the day, to prepare them for the wash. "It was a difficult day for you, I'm sure."

"I suspected Commodore Norrington would propose," Elizabeth started, glancing briefly up from the book she was reading before continuing. "But I must admit I wasn't entirely prepared for it."

"I meant you being threatened by that pirate," Estrella mentioned with concern, causing Elizabeth to look up at her again. Millicent glanced towards the two of them out of the corner of her eyes, staying silent but matching Estrella's concern. "Sounds terrifying."

"Oh." She paused. "Yes, it was terrifying." Elizabeth breathed out, almost as if it was a forced reply.

"But, the Commodore proposed!" Estrella stated happily, grinning as she spoke. "Fancy that. That's a smart match, miss, if it's not too bold to say." Once Millicent was done gathering the previous day's clothes, she set those aside for the moment to start with preparing a dress for the next morning. Elizabeth took that moment to consider what Estrella was saying.

"It is a smart match." Elizabeth thought distantly. "He's a fine man." She then immediately went back to reading her book. "He's what any woman would dream of marrying."

"Well, that Will Turner," Estrella was quick to catch onto what Elizabeth was truly thinking about. "He's a fine man, too."

"That is too bold." Elizabeth frowned and stared at her maid.

"Beggin' your pardon, miss. It was not my place." Estrella finished folding the sheets onto Elizabeth's form, leaving her to rest for the night and go about the rest of her duties. Millicent was about to grab the pre-worn clothes so she could wash them before the night was over until she was stopped by Elizabeth.

"Millie, wait." Her voice was so quiet, Millicent almost couldn't hear her before walking out the door. And so, Millicent placed the clothes back down before walking towards Elizabeth's bed.

"Yes, Miss Swann?"

"Something's wrong." Elizabeth admitted vaguely, glancing at the flame of the candle on her nightstand, watching it flicker. "Would you be able to go into town tonight?"

"I don't believe that this is a wise de-"

"Please." Elizabeth snapped her gaze from the candle to Millicent's green eyes. "I need you to do this for me. I just want to make sure that..."

Through the eight years that Millicent has been working in the Governor's household, caring for Elizabeth, she has come to know the younger woman well. In her previous days, she was experienced in learning who a person was through observation, and right now she could tell that the woman before her felt that something bad was going to happen. A sense of foreboding was in the air, and after staring into Elizabeth's deep, brown eyes, she could feel it too. It was an all too familiar chill. Reluctantly, Millicent nodded to the woman in a silent promise.

"Thank you." Elizabeth muttered quietly, trying her best to relax into her pillows and read, but it was noticed that the comfort never overcame her paranoia.

From that point, Millicent finally gathered the linens to wash. Although instead of cleaning the laundry, she promised herself that she would clean them later and ducked away to the room that she shared with Estrella. The younger maid was still out, going about her duties, which gave Millicent a chance to ready herself to leave without being detected. Stripping herself of the maid uniform, she changed into a simple, dark brown skirt, white shirt, and a brown leather vest that hugged her waist. A pair of dark, leather boots on her feet. This was what she usually wore when she was requested to leave by Elizabeth, due to the fact that it was easy to move in and made her movements quiet.

Even before departing from the estate, she couldn't shake the concerned look that Elizabeth had in her eyes earlier. And so, in a last moment decision, she grabbed one of her old knives that was collecting dust in her wardrobe. An item she would consider being a part of a distant, past life. Just holding it brought a surge of nostalgia through Millicent's body. Hiding it conveniently beneath the leather of her vest, she made her way out of the servants quarters and out the entrance without so much as a noise. Even if she was noticed leaving, the Governor was still out at Fort Charles with Commodore Norrington. So it wasn't as if he would know until it was already done.

This obviously wasn't the first time she had done this sort of thing for Elizabeth. She would always exchange brief messages between the Governor's daughter and the young blacksmith, William Turner. Eight years ago, when Millicent started out working for the Governor and Elizabeth, the child could assume a lot about Millicent's past. And although the older woman wouldn't admit to any of Elizabeth's assumptions, neither would she deny them. Unlike her companion, Estrella, Elizabeth knew that Millicent would be able to do as she asks if it concerns the orphaned blacksmith's apprentice. Estrella was closer to Elizabeth's age and more of a friend. Instead, Millicent acted as an elder sister, providing counsel as an older woman and experienced with the world. So the situation at this moment was nothing new to the now 28-year-old woman.

It wasn't long when Millicent walked through the town that she could hear the distinctive clangs from Mr. Brown's blacksmith shop. She knew all too well that it wasn't the middle aged drunk working so late, it was no doubt young William Turner, doing his best to prove his worth.

With a few swift and loud knocks on the door, the clangs halted, and soon a familiar face emerged from behind the wooden door. His dark brown hair was clinging to the shape of his face from the sweat on his brow, his once white shirt and brown vest were dirtied from working with the fire and metals, a leather apron wrapped across his front.

"Miss Goodwin," William nearly gasped at the sight of the Governor's maid before him. "What are you doing here?" His voice was laced with concern and his brown eyes filled with confusion.

"It is nothing to worry about. Miss Swann is just concerned," Millicent nodded towards the younger gentleman. It wasn't until after she continued to see the same look in his eyes that Elizabeth had that she decided to stick around for more than just small talk. "You feel it, too."

"I can't help but feel," William paused, taking a deep breath in disbelief. "I feel as if something is coming. The wind has changed. I don't know how to describe this feeling that is in the air."

"With one pirate comes many." Millicent spoke calmly, trying to soothe his worry. "That is probably what you, and Miss Swann, are thinking about." Of course, with the news of Elizabeth's ordeal, and that she had also heard about how the pirate had shown up to Mr. Brown's shop, there was no doubt that William encountered the pirate. "It is nothing to be concerned about, Mr. Turner. I'm sure that the Commodore is on top of the situation. Nothing bad should happen."

It wasn't until after those words left Millicent's mouth that there was an echo of canon fire. Sometime shortly after the cannons went off, there were explosions echoing throughout Port Royal. People were screaming, and not all were citizens of the town. Revealing the small blade hidden in her vest and, although stunned for a moment that she was wielding a blade, Will followed suit and grabbed one of the swords he made as well as a hatchet. Distressed screams were followed by antagonized yelling, the two individuals exited the shop just in time to witness a thick bearded pirate chase down a woman in her nightgown. Will readied the hatchet and threw it toward the pirate, the blade embedding itself into his spine. The pirate fell face first into the ground, presumed dead, and Will rushed over to grab the tool again. Millicent couldn't help but stare at the body in surprise.

"You should get out of here!" Will exclaimed over the noise.

"I can take care of myself." Millicent muttered, but did as he said. And so she ran. That was, until she came across another pair of familiar faces, these ones not native to Port Royal.


	3. Chapter Two

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER TWO

"Look who's here!" The dark skinned pirate sneered towards Millicent as he spoke to his lanky companion. "First, we come across ole' Jack," her eyes widened at the name while he continued on. "And now here she is, young Millie Greene."

"Not so young I s'pose, no more," laughed the thin man.

"You watch yourselves," Millicent growled, facing her knife towards the two of them before just pointing it at the thin man who insulted her. "It may have been eight years, but I could sure as hell best the two of you with just this little toothpick, Twigg."

"And she's still brave," the dark skinned man scoffed. "I'm sure the Capt'n would be more than glad to see that you're still alive, aside from Sparrow, that is."

"I didn't even know Jack was here, Koehler," Millicent admitted, no one had revealed the name of the pirate earlier, and so she honestly never knew. "And I don't know how Hector would be happy to see me, he being the one that tossed me overboard and all. As if I were nothing to this crew."

"To most, you were nothin'," Twigg stated with a sly grin.

"Then I see no reason why we should continue to be speaking," Millicent glared at the two of them. "It'd be much easier to move on once you're dead!"

She lunged at the two of them, swiping her blade horizontally seeing that they haven't moved an inch. For a second she thought her speed had given her an upper hand and she was able to incapacitate them easily. It wasn't until they both looked at the fresh wounds on their chests that they started to laugh. Caught by surprise at the lack of reaction she anticipated, Koehler grabbed her right arm, twisting it in a painful way in which to disarm her. Once the knife fell from her hand, Twigg picked it up and held it to her throat.

"How is it that you didn't feel that? I cut you, and there is no blood. No pain." Millicent said viciously, trying her best to struggle out of Koehler's grip, but he held onto her right wrist while Twigg took hold of her left.

"A lot has happened the past eight years." Twigg simply stated, touching the cut on his own chest as if it were nothing. "Perhaps a little visit to the Capt'n will shed a bit more," he paused and glanced at Koehler, the two shared a knowing smirk. "Light."

For the next few seconds, she knew she didn't need an explanation from their pirate Captain for why they didn't react the way she wanted them to. The clouds moved in the night sky, revealing the moonlight. As it shone down on the three of them, Millicent was brought to a state of shock at what she saw.

Both Twigg and Koehler stood before her, undead shadows of themselves. Few remains of flesh hung off of exposed bone, their skeletons clothed in tattered rags. It didn't take more than a moment for Millicent to know exactly what had happened.

"You, the lot of you," she looked at their hands holding onto her wrists. "You're all cursed." And then she smirked. "I guess marooning Jack and leaving me for dead was the best decision you could make." Their grip tightened on her as they pulled her arms back, causing her to frown and wince in pain.

"I believe it's about time to make it back to the ship," Koehelr took possession of both of Millicent's wrists from Twigg and holding them behind her back, making sure she stayed in place in front of him. "Don't you think so, Millie?" His hot breath was on her ear and she could only squirm in his hold, turning her head away from him as far as she could. "Let's go, Twigg."

Millicent made sure to keep up her struggling the entire time she was shoved forward, towards the lifeboats. Sitting in the middle of the bay was a large, black ship with torn, black sails. And having been aboard the ship before, Millicent knew exactly what her name was, The Black Pearl.

"Get me some rope, Twigg," Koehler demanded gruffly once they came across the lifeboats.

It didn't go unnoticed that all the pirates on land were making their way towards the boats, no doubt finished with their raid. Whatever was it that caused them to come across Port Royal in the first place? Millicent didn't know, nor did she believe there was any agenda. Pirates pillage and plunder as they like, she knew this all too well. Her wrists were bound by a coarse rope in front of her, and she was slightly thankful that the pain in her shoulders was eased at the new position, and the entire time in the boat, Twigg held her own knife threateningly towards her.

In her captive state, she need aid in climbing aboard the ship, and she did not welcome the unwanted hands on her body. Although, she was caught by surprise that the hands did not linger like she expected they would.

"What have we, here?" Millicent was brought before the helm and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the man in front of her. His beard and hair as thin as she remembered, the hat and coat he wore were weathered and worn down, and a small monkey sat and grinned upon his shoulder. He started to approach her, speaking with each step. "Miss Millicent Greene." Once he stopped just inches away from her. "How many years has it been? Eight? Nine?"

"Ten years," Millicent spat. "It was ten years ago you tossed me from this ship."

"There wasn't much we could do once you refused my claim as Captain, so there wasn't much use to you," the man admitted with a yellowed grin, the monkey that sat on his shoulder chirped almost in agreement.

"So, why is it that your men, after coming across me in town, brought me here while Jack is off in the cells of Fort Charles?" Millicent asked, noticing the wide eyed and accusatory look Hector gave Twigg and Koehelr. "Of course, they didn't have the time to mention. Jack had escaped from the island you left him on. I must be honest, before they told me I had no clue he was even here."

"It matters not!" Hector barked a laugh. "Sparrow be in the cells, do you confirm?" Twigg and Koehler silently nodded. "Then his fate is with the gallows. We need not concern ourselves with the late Jack Sparrow." He and the rest of the crew laughed around the ship.

"This doesn't answer my question, Hector." Millicent glared at him. "Why do you need me here?"

"It may have been my plan to be rid of you on this ship," Hector started, pacing back towards the helm, hands upon the wheel. "Perhaps I may explain along the rest of our journey. Gents!" Hector called across the ship with a booming voice. "To Isla de Muerta!"

"What of Millie, Capt'n?" Twigg asked meekly, he was only this submissive when it came to the authority that is the Captain of the ship.

"Bring her too Miss Turner," Hector chuckled. "The two ladies can have a chat."

Turner? Millicent was confused. Who was this stranger and why did she share the name of William Turner? Of course, it's a pretty common name, but this was no doubt someone they have taken from Port Royal. Even though she didn't know everyone personally, Millicent knew most of the names. She was at a loss of words when she was untied and thrown into the Captains Cabin, staring at the face of the woman she had helped take care of for eight years, Elizabeth Swann.

"Miss Sw-"

"Shh!" Elizabeth hushed Millicent before she could say her name. "They don't know who I am." She spoke not much louder than a whisper, careful to make sure that only Millicent could hear. "To you, I am Elizabeth Turner, and I was a maid in the Governor's estate, same as you."

"All right," Millicent trailed off, speaking at the same volume as her employer's daughter. "Do you know what they want from you?"

"All I know is that they wanted the medallion I had." Elizabeth sighed quietly, sitting quietly a chair at the table in the center of the room.

"Medallion?" Millicent frowned and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before shaking her head. She stepped in front of Elizabeth and knelt down in front of her. "Never mind that, are you all right, miss? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm all right." Elizabeth spoke in an airy voice. "What brought this upon us? Why are the two of us here?" It was a more rhetorical question, since it was known loosely that Elizabeth was here because of some sort of medallion. But she didn't know how involved Millicent truly was. Elizabeth saw the uneasy look in Millicent's gaze while she avoided Elizabeth's eyes. "What do you know, Millie?"

"Miss Elizabeth-"

"I don't want you to avoid my questions," Elizabeth interrupted, earning an apologetic look from Millicent. "Please, Millie, tell me what's happening." Her voice was so desperate, Millicent could do nothing but give Elizabeth the answers she wanted.

"I had hopped that it wouldn't come to this," Millicent glanced at her hands resting upon her lap as she knelt there. "I never wanted you to know."

"Know what?"

"I'm," she paused, taking a deep breath. "My name isn't Goodwin. My name is Millicent Greene. I'm a pirate, Elizabeth."


	4. Chapter Three

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER THREE

Millicent took a few moments looking up at Elizabeth in her seat. She watched as what she told her started to register in her head, her eyes went from confusion to rage in a matter of seconds.

"All these years, you lied to my face," Elizabeth hissed, causing Millicent to look away with guilt in her expression. "You, a pirate, under our very roof."

"It was a part of my past that I never wanted you to come across," Millicent tried to calm Elizabeth down by placing a hand on top of one of hers. Elizabeth pulled her hand away as quick as she could, as if Millicent's touch burned her. "I know that it's not what you want to hear, but know that I have changed over the past eight years, no, over the past ten years."

"I don't care." Elizabeth seethed, standing up from her seat and storming towards the window. She stared out into the sea, the fires burning from Port Royal started to shrink in the distance. He expression softened at the sight of her home burning and disappearing from view. When she heard Millicent stand up and take a few steps towards he, her face hardened and she glared at the maid's reflection in the window. "Please, don't talk to me."

Millicent was silent and just nodded to Elizabeth before turning away. Looking around the Captain's Cabin and lightly running her fingers along the surface of the table, she was struck by a wave of nostalgia.

Some memories were pleasant, she imagined the times she was here to speak with the former Captain, Jack Sparrow. He was kind, for a pirate. More so understanding. She remembered speaking here, with him, just a few days before the mutiny happened. Unable to remember the exact words of the conversation they held, she knew it had something to do with her position among the crew. Back then, she was the Sailing Master of this vessel, the best navigator among anyone else in the _Pearl_ 's crew. Jack was staring at a map, his compass in hand, discussing a heading with Millicent over their next destination. The conversation was stopped short when the First Mate, Hector Barbossa, entered the room with a few other mates. And so Millicent left Jack and Hector to speak.

Other memories were not so pleasant. It was hours after the mutiny had taken place. Millicent, after a previous sea battle between a vessel of the King's Navy, was recovering in the crew's quarters. After awaking to the riot taking place on deck, she made her was as best as she could there. Spotting an island in the nearby distance, and a form swimming towards it, she could see exactly what had happened. No one answered her as she demanded what had happened, and so she barged into the Captain's Cabin, face to face with the new Captain Hector Barbossa. Most would say that it was her head injury that compelled her to argue with and attack Hector, the wound across the side of her face was still fresh, not to mention an easily hidden wound beneath her black hair on the back of her head. Needless to say, she was both outmatched and overpowered. For days, she was kept in the brig, Hector had hoped that once she was healed well enough that she would realize that siding and working for him would be better than Jack. She refused day after day, waiting for the day that he would just kill her and be done with it.

Judgment day finally came, and she was hauled to the deck, given one last chance to concede and join Hector and his lust for treasure. Needless to say, instead of being marooned on an island like Jack was, she was just sent to the depths of the ocean. She knows not what happened after that, and it was a miracle that a small fishing vessel was nearby. In a sense, she had a feeling that Hector never wanted her to really die, because he did nothing to ensure her death. The was no doubt, however, that had he never expected to see her again. She had originally planned on staying away from this life once and for all after all of that.

It was morning before either of the women knew it. Neither were approached by anyone, just stayed isolated. Locked away in the Captain's Cabin. Millicent could probably figure out how to escape, but what about Elizabeth? She couldn't just leave her behind. If there was one thing Millicent knew she had to do was to make sure that Elizabeth got out of here and out of this situation with her life. It didn't matter what happened to herself, as long as Elizabeth was safe.

Unfortunately for her, Millicent didn't know where the ship was sailing from inside the Captain's Cabin. She and Elizabeth sat in silence for the whole previous night and most of this day. It was Elizabeth's request that made Millicent stay silent. She may have been a pirate, but after spending the past eight years in Elizabeth's service, she knew when to keep her mouth shut and do her duties.

It was around mid afternoon once Elizabeth spoke up again.

"Explain this to me," she started in a quiet voice. "Who are these people? What should we expect from them?"

"Honestly, miss, I haven't a clue." Millicent was honest, speaking as quiet as Elizabeth was. "Ten years can change many people. And even if they haven't changed, I never knew these men well enough." In a sense, this wasn't all that true. A couple of the men out there, she would have considered as friends once upon a time. One of which was Hector, but times have changed.

"How long were you a part of their crew?" Elizabeth asked calmly. Noticing how less furious she was made Millicent smile slightly.

"Only about four years with the previous captain, three among this ship."

Elizabeth nodded and glanced at Millicent before looking around the room.

"How much longer do you think they will keep us in here?"

"Till we reach land, I suppose. Wherever we are setting off towards." Millicent stated. She didn't want to tell Elizabeth what she already knew about the crew's state, because she didn't quite understand it herself all that well, not the details anyway. It was but a few moments longer before Elizabeth spoke again.

"Is this the reason why you would never explain to me what had happened?" Elizabeth asked. Millicent knew what the question was regarding, and she thought she had made up a well enough story back when she first told Elizabeth. "I must be honest, I never believed that you were to have been caught in a house fire to cause a scar like that. How vague your answers were had never convinced me."

"You're right." Millicent chuckled. "The scar on my face, as well as many others on my body, were the repercussions from being a pirate. Many battles were fought, on land and sea. This one," she raised a hand to the scar along her face. "Was from a battle between the _Pearl_ and the navy. I was fighting a solider, a canon blast distracted me well enough for him to catch me off guard." Her hand moved from the scar on her face to the back of her head, when she fell backwards and hit her head on a canon at the time. "A lot of things have happened to me, miss. And trust me when I say that it would be a long story."

"We've got time."

Millicent smiled bitterly as the two women sat next to each other, and the former pirate recounted her tales on the _Black Pearl._


	5. Chapter Four

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER FOUR

Night came without interruption. The doors were unlocked and two men entered. One was a tall, thin man with a wooden eye, the other was only a little shorter with a balding head and a thicker body. Elizabeth approached them defiantly, Millient at her side to make sure nothing happens to her. In both of the men's arms were dresses, the shorter man held a deep maroon colored gown and the thin man held a dark blue one.

"You'll be dining with the captain, and he requests you wear these." The bald man said, holding out the red dress.

"Well, you may tell the captain that we are disinclined to acquiesce to his request." Elizabeth stated with a smirk. The two men looked at each other and laughed.

"He said you'd say that," the bald man said. "He also said if that'd be the case, you'll be dining with the crew, and you'll be naked." The both of them laughed again. Elizabeth snatched the dress out of the man's hands. "Fine," the bald man frowned. Millicent took the blue dress from the thin man. She knew these two, Pintel and Ragetti. They were good for a laugh, watching the two of them talk was an interesting experience.

"I can't believe how foul these people are," Elizabeth stated, once the two men left the room. She tossed off her robe and went to strip herself from her nightgown. "How could you stand this place?"

"I grew up in this sort of place," Millicent explained, discarding the leather vest before moving onto her white shirt. "I never knew who my father was, but my mother was from Tortuga." That was enough to explain her mother's line of work to Elizabeth. When the younger woman didn't respond, Millicent glanced at her only to spot her staring at her body. Millicent's flesh was littered with scars, cuts and burns alike. "I've told you I had scars."

"I never thought," Elizabeth frowned and looked away. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing to be sorry about, miss." Millicent smiled lightly, dressing into the blue dress quickly. It hugged her waist and hips tightly, her chest nearly escaping the top of the gown. In a way, she thought that she may have looked a lot like her mother in this dress, her mother's favorite color was blue, after all. When she saw the trouble Elizabeth was having with her own dress, she placed her hands on top of hers to stop her. "Let me help you."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said after a moment of silence while Millicent helped tighten the dress to her body, making sure it stayed on her body as it almost seemed a little to large. "I'm sorry." She apologized again, and Millicent knew that this apology was regarding the night before.

"As I said, miss," Millicent finished fixing her dress and smiled at Elizabeth. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

Shortly after the two had finished dressing, members of the crew had gone in and out of the Captain's Cabin with many trays of food. Trays of bread and fruit and a large roasted pig were placed on the table with various other delectable foods that Millicent was surely craving at this point. The two women had gone a day without food, of course she was hungry, and there was no question that Elizabeth was as well. Once Hector entered the room, however, the two women refused to express how hungry they were in defiance.

"Sit, sit," Hector gestured towards the seats at the table as the monkey on his shoulder scurried across the room to stand on a hanging bar in the middle of the room. "Did you really think we would be so neglectful to our," he paused for a second and smirked at the two of them. "Guests."

Refusing to speak without reason, Elizabeth held her head up high and sat down at the table, Millicent followed suit. Watching how slowly Elizabeth decided to pile the food onto her plate into neat portions, Millicent didn't know whether to follow her lead or just dig in like she wanted. Instead, she took a more neutral pace between the two options, placing some fruit and some meat onto her plate and began to eat. Hector sat at the table nearest to Elizabeth, watching, observing as the two women ate. He chuckled lightly as Elizabeth took small and delicate bites from her food.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, no call to impress anyone." After giving him a sideways glance, Hector continued to speak to Elizabeth. "You must be hungry."

Unable to hold it back any longer, the food being too enticing and Hector's words driving her, Elizabeth set aside the silverware and took to eating the pork by her hands. Millicent was in nearly a state of shock, so used to seeing Elizabeth so composed at meal times. It was rare to see someone of her ranking ravaging food the way she did. After pausing to watch Elizabeth, Millicent went back to eating the grapes on her plate at an even pace. The ship swayed against the waves, causing some of the plates and cups to slide across the table. Without removing his eyes from the eating women, Hector uncorked a bottle of wine and poured it into a pair of chalices. Placing one in front of Elizabeth, he reached to hand the other to Millicent, and she stared at it in his hand almost in confusion.

"Try the wine."

Millicent snatched the drink out of his hands and started to guzzle it down. How long had it been since she last had wine like this? Or in general, food like this? There are sayings that the food you long for is different than the food you live with, and this must be what it's like. This is one of the things that made her miss being on a ship, the cooking was always a big deal.

"And the apples." In his hand was a fresh, green apple. "One of those next."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Elizabeth dropped the food onto her plate and leaned back a bit. Millicent noticed the hesitation and paused herself.

"It's poisoned." Elizabeth stated, causing Hector to start laughing. Millicent pushed aside her plate. Would he have really poisoned them like that?

"There would be no sense to be killing you, Miss Turner." He passed a gaze to Millicent. "Or you, for that matter, Millie."

"Then release me," Elizabeth stated. "Release us. You have your trinket, we're of no further value to you." Millicent frowned. Where she didn't know why Elizabeth was here anymore, she knew that at least one thing that Millicent was good for on the ship was as a Sailing Master again. Most of the crew weren't as good at navigation as she was. But of course, Elizabeth didn't understand that exactly.

"You don't know what this is," Hector asked, reaching into his coat and revealing a golden medallion. The one that Millicent could only assume to be the one that Elizabeth had beforehand. "Do you?" It was a shining gold coin with Aztec designs around it, a skull placed in the center.

"It's a pirate medallion." Elizabeth stated.

"This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself." Millicent gasped lightly, eyeing the piece of gold in his hand. She knew this tale, ten years ago before Jack was marooned, it was one of the treasures rumored to be at Isla de Muerta. Where they originally planned to set sail to before the mutiny took place. And where they were headed towards at this very moment. "Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa." Elizabeth expressed her unconcern towards the situation. That must've meant that she hasn't seen what Millicent has, not yet. She only stared at the gold, and then at Hector's face. This is what cursed them?

"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale." He stood up from his seat, pacing around the table to stand behind the two of them. "Buried on an Island of the Dead what cannot be found, except for those who know where it is." He glanced between the women, staring at Millicent longer for but a moment. She didn't know where it was, but he knew with her skills, she could have very well found the island as best as she could. "Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all." He grasped at the air as if he were snatching the gold from the chest once more. "We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away," he leaned towards them again, speaking in an ominous whisper. "The more we came to realize the drink would not satisfy. Food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust." While Elizabeth refused to look at him, Millicent couldn't help but exchange a glance with Hector, expressing quietly that she has seen it. That she knows what had happened to him and the crew. "We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed we were, but now we are consumed by it."

The monkey, sitting on the bar, started to chatter and screeched loudly as Hector finished his sentence. Both he and Millicent quickly glanced at the monkey, watching it jump up and down and screech louder. Hector approached the creature and slowly started scratching the back of it's head to calm it down. Millicent absentmindedly started sipping at her wine again, watching the exchange before turning back to Elizabeth. The younger woman glanced into Millicent's eyes with a look of indifference, and for once she was unable to determine what Elizabeth was thinking.

"There is one way we can end our curse." Hector handed the monkey the medallion and it held onto it, jumping back onto his shoulder. "All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored, and the blood repaid." The monkey jumped off of his shoulder and ran out of the room with the piece of gold. "Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."

"And the blood to be repaid?" Elizabeth asked, suddenly getting terrified. Millicent glanced worriedly at Elizabeth. Would they really plan on killing her? Of course they would, they're pirates. But not until they go through Millicent, she would protect Elizabeth with her life.

"That's why there's no sense to be killing you," Hector paused. "Yet." He held out the green apple to the two of them. "Apple?"

Elizabeth looked at it for a second before knocking it out of Hector's hand. She stood up, causing Millicent to stand and step back as well as she held out a knife that she took from the table. Although unable to do so, Elizabeth threatened to stab Hector for a moment before dodging and running towards the exit. Millicent went to stop him from stopping Elizabeth, distracting him for a moment by pulling him back. He only pushed her off of him and went back towards Elizabeth. Just then, she brought the knife down into his chest, right where his heart was. All three of them just stared for a second before Hector just pulled the blade out of his chest.

"I'm curious," he smirked, staring at the blood soaked blade and then grinned at her. "After killing me, what is it you're planning on doing next?"

Elizabeth just backed out in shock, not entirely realizing that the exit door to the cabin was right behind her. The second she did, she turned around to run only to stop short at what she saw.


	6. Chapter Five

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER FIVE

"You don't really plan on killing her at all, do you?" Millicent asked furiously, pushing at Hector's shoulder to get his attention. "Because believe me when I tell you I will fight tooth and nail for her."

"While that is nice to hear, I don't think you'd have much say, my dear Millie." Hector couldn't help but smirk at her.

She could do nothing but glare at him. Millicent knew she couldn't hurt nor kill anyone on this ship except herself and Elizabeth. And so she just shoved his shoulder again in a rage, storming past him once she heard Elizabeth screaming.

"Elizabeth!"

Across the entire deck of the _Pearl_ , the crew stood bathed in the full moonlight. All of their figures were reduced to skeletal forms. Loose, rotting clothes hung from their bodies, very little flesh clung to the bone. Although seeing this before with Koehler and Twigg the previous night, it was still quite a surprise and stunned Millicent for a moment. It was once she spotted Elizabeth again running down the steps from the helm and hiding under the stairs.

"Elizabeth," Millicent breathed lightly, causing Elizabeth to turn her head towards her only to scream once more when the monkey dropped down from the banister and screeched in Elizabeth's face. Millicent grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and tugged her up off of the floor, turning to go back into the Cabin. The pair was quickly stopped by Hector as he took the both by the shoulders and turned them around to look at the crew.

"Look!" He exclaimed as the crew made to approach them, abandoning their tasks for what seemed to be a dramatic affect. "The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die. But neither are we dead." Hector turned Elizabeth around to speak again, watching as she backed away from him slowly. "For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starvin' to death and haven't died. I feel nothin'. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea," Millicent flinched when he held his arm out towards them, turning flesh to bone in the moonlight. "Nor the warmth of a woman's flesh. "You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner." Fully in the moonlight now, Hector's entire form turned skeletal, withering flesh on his face, clothes turned to rags. Despite the situation, Millicent couldn't help but frown. "You're in one!"

He took the bottle of wine from earlier in his hand, took the cork out with his mouth and spat it out, letting the sweet liquid pour down his throat. Since there was no where for the wine to go, it just poured over his now exposed ribs and stained his clothes. Elizabeth took the visual in for a second and then dashed around him to rush into the Cabin. He smashed the bottle into the door and slammed the doors shut before breaking out in laughter, the entire crew joining him. He stopped once he looked at Millicent and then to the crew.

"What are you lookin' at?! Back to work!" Hector barked, causing everyone to go scurrying to their stations on the _Pearl_. When Millicent went to walk past him, he grasped her arm, causing her to stop and look at him. "I can only assume by the lack of surprise on your face that you knew this."

"Yes." She wrenched her arm out of his grip. "In Port Royal." Instead of making her way to the Cabin again, she just stared at him in the pale moonlight. "I had a feeling that the rumors were true. About the cursed treasure."

"And I suppose you believe that we deserve our fate." Hector nearly sneered, causing Millicent to smirk.

"Yes," and then she frowned again. "Not entirely, I'll admit." After thinking for a second, she continued. "You still haven't explained why I am here. Although I believe I already know."

"And what do you believe that might be?" He watched as Millicent smirked again and chuckled, turning away and walked into the Cabin.

Upon walking back inside, Millicent saw that Elizabeth was cowering on the floor farthest away from the door. She was glancing around wildly, expecting someone else to pop out of the shadows and scare her. Millicent furrowed her eyebrows and approached Elizabeth slowly, kneeling down in front of her.

"Miss," Elizabeth's wide, brown eyes met Millicent's concerned, green ones. "You must stay calm."

"How can you say such a thing at a time like this?" Elizabeth nearly exclaimed in fright.

"If we are even going to have a chance at escaping, we need to approach the situation with a level head." At what Millicent said, Elizabeth slowly nodded her head, only curling into her body more. Millicent understood that she was still in shock so she allowed her to have her time to process everything that has happened.

Over time, once night turned into day, the frightened woman came around and spoke to Millicent, both sitting at the table. There was still a bit of food left over, and Millicent had a feeling that they wouldn't be getting fed for the next however many days it took to get to Isla de Muerta. And so, she made sure to ration the food as best as she could, trying to get Elizabeth to eat while she refused as she was still cautious.

"We have already established that it's not poisoned, Elizabeth." Millicent coaxed the younger woman to look at her while she held out an apple to her. Elizabeth stared at the apple and then looked away, causing Millicent to sigh before taking a bite out of it herself. "You must eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Although she didn't believe Elizabeth one bit, Millicent nodded and just continued to eat the apple. How long would it be before the Black Pearl reached it's destination? If she had any maps to look at with any sort of markers placed on them, Millicent would have been able to except when they'd arrive at Isla de Muerta. Unfortunately, spending sleepless nights in this Cabin, she spent that time searching for whatever she could to help both Elizabeth and herself. There was nothing to be found. Just clothes, food, and jewels. Weapons would have no effect on the pirates, so if she found anything that could be used as one, it was quickly discarded. She growled in frustration and threw a fist full of gold towards the wall, causing Elizabeth to jump and stare at her with wide eyes.

"Sorry, miss," Millicent smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Elizabeth nodded and just settled back into her seat, silently staring out the window at the stern of the ship. No land was in sight. It could be another few weeks before they came upon land for all they knew. That was the main reason Millicent was frustrated, she knew that Elizabeth wouldn't have been able to handle this much longer no matter how strong she's been expressing she was. Elizabeth was strong, but not as strong as Millicent in a situation like this. Millicent just wanted to get Elizabeth back home, to her father, even if it meant that she'd be stuck here on this ship. Or even if she were killed. As long as Elizabeth was safe.

That night, thunder echoed along the ocean. Millicent grew worried about the imminent storm approaching. On board of a ship in the middle of the sea was no place to be when a storm came along. Shortly after the thunder came the choppy waters, waves crashed against the hull of the ship knocking it back and forth. Both Millicent and Elizabeth stood from their seats wobbly, making sure to hold onto each other to keep their balance.

"Hold onto anything you can," Millicent instructed, holding onto Elizabeth's arm while walking towards the wall. The two women stayed clinging to the wooded planks, watching as everything in the room shook and swayed, smashing against the walls. First was the fright of the cursed pirates, and now there was this overwhelming storm. How could this possibly get any worse for them?


	7. Chapter Six

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER SIX

The next day, Elizabeth was sitting next to the window, staring out. Millicent even took a glance out there, feeling the ship start to halt. Just outside, they could see land, which could only mean that they have arrived at Isla de Muerta. Surrounding the island were various sailing vessels that have been beached, wrecked, and sunken to the bottom of the sea. Millicent took a bite out of a piece of bread she was able to salvage from the remaining bits of food from the other night. She was finally able to get Elizabeth to eat something earlier, but only a few bites of grapes. That was enough for her, at least she ate, and now she was less worried about her health in that sense. Of course, the only thing now to worry about was whether or not Hector and the rest of the crew had planed on killing the both of them. Suddenly, in walked four men. Twigg, Pintel, Ragetti, and Koehler. Rope was held in both Pintel and Twigg's hands.

"Time to go, Poppet." Pintel stated, looking straight at Elizabeth.

"Capt'n says to take precautions," said Twigg to Millicent with a smirk while holding the rope up.

Millicent glared at him, but went towards him and held her arms out. The men laughed and Twigg tugged on her arms, roughly tying her arms together. Millicent glanced at Elizabeth and nodded, letting her know that it was okay and she was going to make sure she wasn't going to get hurt. And so, Elizabeth followed her lead and approached the men so that they could bind her wrists. Out on deck, the women were tugged along towards the crew, getting ready to leave on a rowboat to the island. Ragetti was chanting something for intimidation, fiddling with a knife. Hector approached from behind, pulling back Elizabeth's hair before latching the medallion chain around her neck. The two women were then guided to a boat with the same men, including Hector.

It didn't take long for the group to make it to the cove. The men pulled the boat along to shore so it wouldn't drift away from the cave. Both women were pulled out of the boat violently, there were echos of cheering and jeering though the cave as they pulled the women forward. Eventually they were brought to an opening in the cave. Gold, silver, and jeweled treasures littered the entire cove, a mountain of treasure sat in the middle and on top of it sat a stone chest. It could only be the cursed treasure that was rumored to have been here.

All of the men started throwing around and grabbing whatever treasure they wanted. Millicent was in shock, never has she seen so much treasure in one place. Part of her was jealous about not being a part of this, but at the same time she wanted nothing to do with it. She left this life behind long ago. Yet, why has it been calling to her again?

"Move!" One of the men shoved the two women forward, towards the stone chest.

Millicent was pulled to the side before Elizabeth was guided up the pile of coins and jewels, nearly slipping every step of the way. Millicent pulled at her bonds, wanting to stay by Elizabeth's side the entire time, only to be pulled towards Pintel who had taken a hold of her wrists. She glared at him and he only scoffed, watching as Hector climbed up the treasure next to Elizabeth, who stood behind the chest once her wrists were cut loose.

"Gentlemen, the time has come!" Hector announced from next to the stone chest, gaining everyone's attention in the cove. They all cheered. "Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end! For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" The men cheered multiple times as he spoke.

"Suffered, I have!" Ragetti exclaimed.

"Punished we were, the lot of us, disproportionate to our crime!" Everyone nodded and grunted in agreement. "Here it is!" Hector kicked aside the lid to the chest, hearing it fall among the treasure, causing Elizabeth to gasp and step back. He then ran his fingers over the gold in the chest, causing the gold to clink together, taking a few coins in his hand before dropping them into the chest. "The cursed treasure of Cortes himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned. Save for this!" He pointed to the medallion around Elizabeth's neck. "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" They all yelled. "And who's blood must yet be paid?!"

"Hers!" They all pointed at Elizabeth, causing Millicent to struggle again to run towards her. She was not about to let Hector kill her, but was halted by being pulled back by Pintel once again.

"You know the first thing I'm going to do after the curse is lifted?" Hector then asked while cackling, glancing at Elizabeth. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." He shoved Elizabeth's head above the chest, holding a dagger in his opposite hand and everyone started chanting for blood to be spilled.

"You can't!" Millicent yelled.

"Oh, I believe I can, dear Millie!" Hector laughed loudly, watching her struggle in her bonds. "Begun by blood. By blood undone." He snatched the medallion from around Elizabeth's neck and grabbed her left hand, putting the coin in her hand while slicing her palm open before closing her hand into a fist.

"That's it?!" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"Waste not." Hector smirked once everyone stopped chanting as Elizabeth dropped the blood stained coin into the chest. He stepped forward, closing his eyes as if waiting for something, all the other pirates had done the same.

A few moments passed, and they just started looking around in confusion, muttering to each other.

"Did it work?" Koehler asked.

"I don't feel no different." Ragetti stated.

"How do we tell?" Pintel then asked.

A gunshot rang off, and Millicent nearly screamed when the person on the receiving end off the bullet was none other than Pintel, less than a few inches from her own body. Everyone just stared on in shock.

"You're not dead!" Koehler said with a scowl.

"No," chuckled Pintel, still happy to be alive before frowning and glaring at Hector. "He shot me!"

"It didn't work," Ragetti said woefully.

"The curse is still upon us!" Twigg exclaimed causing Hector look at the blood on the dagger before turning towards Elizabeth nearly in a rage.

"You, maid! Your father, what was his name?" He took her arms into both of his hands, roughly shaking her body. "Was your father William Turner?"

"No," Elizabeth said smugly.

"Where's his child?!" He pushed her away from him, grabbing the medallion from the chest and held it before her face. "Where's his child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?!" When she didn't answer him, he brought the back of his hand holding the medallion across her left cheek, causing her to fall backwards and collapse among the gold.

"Elizabeth!" Millicent cried, trying to get out of Pintel's hold on her tied wrists.

"You two!" The Bo'sun, a tall and muscular dark skinned man, yelled at Pintel and Ragetti, causing them to look at him frighteningly. "You brought us the wrong person!" While everyone jeered in agreement, Pintel spoke.

"No!" He yelled. "She had the medallion. She's the proper age!"

"She said her name was Turner, you heard her." Ragetti aided in defending the both of them. "I think she lied to us."

"You brought us here for nothin'!" Twigg yelled at Hector.

"I won't take questioning or second-guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Twigg!"

"Who's to blame him? Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse!" Koehler exclaimed.

"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" Accused another man, causing everyone to cheer and Millicent to glance around wildly. She could tell that someone was missing at this point, but she didn't realize that they had killed Bootstrap Bill.

"And it's you who brought us here in the first place!" The Bo'sun yelled, unsheathing his sword. Everyone else seemed to do the same, even Hector so that he could defend himself if need be.

"If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak!" Hector said, pointing his sword at the crowd before him.

"I say," started Koehler. "We cut her throat and spill all her blood! Just in case."

When everyone seemed to agree, Millicent finally got out of a distracted Pintel's grip and approached the gold mountain, trying to make her way around it to get to Elizabeth. When both she and Hector looked to where Elizabeth should have been after her fall, there was no one there. Millicent sighed, at peace with the fact that she may very well have gotten away.

"The medallion! She's taken it!" Hector announced to the crew. "Get after her, you feckless pack of ingrates!" Storming towards Millicent, he pulled her towards him. "You knew this all along, so why haven't you mentioned that our dear guest was not the daughter of William Turner?" He growled menacingly, only causing Millicent to smirk at him.

"We didn't think it was that you would be so concerned about, we thought it was because she's really the daughter of the King's Governor in Port Royal." Millicent spat. "How in the world would I have known you needed Bootstrap's blood? I was never a part of this in the first place."

It was the sudden echoing yells about lost oars that Millicent knew that someone must have followed them here to save Elizabeth. She smiled with hope that she would return to her home safe.

"Capt'n!" A man yelled through the cave. "You ought to see this!"

Letting go of Millicent, he pushed her away from him and followed the voices. As she tailed behind him, she was able to finally cut her wrists free with a stray dagger among the treasures and catch up. If anything else were to be happening with her here, she would rather have her arms free. That way she could put up a fight. But upon following Hector through the caves, she saw that the crew had been surrounding a man.

A man none other than the old Captain of the _Black Pearl_ , Jack Sparrow.


	8. Chapter Seven

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Jack," Millicent breathed in surprise. She wasn't all too shocked that Jack had shown up again. For instance, if he was in Port Royal not a few days prior, who's to say he couldn't escape somehow and end up there? Especially when it came to the _Pearl_. The question was, if someone had helped him escape, who was it? And only one name had come to mind for Millicent. The blacksmith, Will Turner. So she had to suppress a smile from the thought that someone from the town would risk everything to save Elizabeth.

"How the blazes did you get off that island?" Hector inquired, the rest of the crew equally curious and awaiting his answer.

"When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate." Jack paused, leaning on an oar and smirking. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Ah." Hector stepped closer, leaning his face into Jack's for emphasis on his words. "Well, I won't be makin' that mistake again." Looking at the group of men surrounding them, the current Captain of the _Pearl_ spoke. "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" Everyone gave off a reply of agreement before he gave off his next command. "Kill him." Just as they were all preparing their flintlock pistols and as Millicent was about to step forward and intervene, Jack spoke once more.

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?"

That stopped everyone from shooting. That stopped Hector in his tracks as he walked away. Millicent furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before an obvious and quick realization came to her. _Will Turner._ How could she be so stupid? Correction, how could _he_ be so stupid? They needed his blood. He was the son of William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner. There was no question he was named after his father. And he's been living in Port Royal, all this time the crew has been cursed. No doubt why Jack was here. He was a pirate, in the Fort Charles cells, and Will would do anything in his power to save the woman he most _obviously_ loved. Millicent nearly cursed out loud of the chances of this all happening at once, but she chose to stay silent, keeping her epiphany a secret from her former shipmate and now captor.

"Hold your fire!" Hector turned back towards Jack. "You know whose blood we need?"

"I know whose blood you need." Jack grinned with a nod, his gold teeth reflecting the light from the torches. He glanced at Millicent, locking eyes with her briefly before looking back at Hector and the rest of the crew. "I would gladly let you know the details of acquisition of such an individual once I'm back on my ship."

" _My_ ship," Hector started, correcting Jack before he continued, casually walking around Jack. "And you neglect to recognize that your circumstances don't grant you the freedom you think you have." Looking around to his men, he snatched the oar from under Jack's hands, causing Jack to nearly fall forward onto the ground. "Find the other oars! We make for the _Pearl_!"

There was a chorus of cheers as well as groans of reluctance before following through with his order. He told the Bo'sun to keep an eye on Jack while handing over the single oar they already had as he walked over to Millicent. Hector eyed the dagger in her hand, and she knew there was no reason to raise it against him. His did nothing but smirk, allowing her to hold onto the useless blade while she could.

"Looks like you'll be sticking around a little longer with us, Millie. As, _Miss Turner's_ savior has neglected to rescue you, as well."

"You must think you're mad if you believe I will let you kill her-"

"Yes, yes, you made that clear." Hector said boredly with a roll of his eyes grabbing her upper arm tightly and tugging her towards the longboats. He was pleased to see that a few of the oars have been found, but the rest were left floating out in the middle of the water. "That clever girl of yours has caused me a bit of trouble, you see. And that trouble is going to cost her."

Millicent glared sharply at Hector. Even though she couldn't kill him in the state he was in now, she sure as hell wished she could. This knife in her hand, as sharp as it was, would do nothing to the cursed pirate next to her, as witnessed the other night when Elizabeth first found out about the curse. She had decided that once this curse is lifted, if Jack doesn't kill him, she will.

Millicent was kept on the longboat with Jack, the pair being watched by Hector and the Bo'sun in case they were to do anything stupid. While Elizabeth had gotten a head start on escaping with the last medallion and the lack of oars for the rest of the _Pearl's_ crew, it took almost an hour before everyone was back on deck. In the meanwhile, both Jack and Millicent had been sitting in the Captain's Cabin while Hector maned the crew on deck, making ready to set sail after the ship that carried the medallion.

Fiddling with the dagger in her hands, Millicent finally got a good look at the blade after leaving the cave. The handle was a gold, engraved with intricate designs and small, blue gems were molded into it. The blade itself was sharp and reflected the light in just about every angle. No doubt, this was either a ceremonial dagger or some sort of noble's decoration, stolen as a prize from pillaging.

Too bad it was useless right now.

"How are you, Jack?" Millicent spoke up, still staring at the steel blade, holding it delicately in her hands. "It's been a while."

"I am honestly surprised to see you in just about the same situation I am in, Millie." Jack said, looking at her from his seat with his dark eyes. His feet were resting on top of the table and he was leaning back in his chair, his dark and heavy coat resting over the arm. When she looked back at him, she almost thought that things were back to the way they used to be ten years ago. "You're not cursed, either?"

"Not at all." Millicent sighed, stabbing the tip of the blade into the dark wood of the table, on top of which still sat a bowl of apples. "After they marooned you, Hector kept me in the brig. And after a while of still supporting your claim as captain, he tossed me overboard."

"That was foolish."

The laugh that escaped Millicent's throat was more like a bark at what Jack said than a hearty laugh. He sounded so serious with how he said those words that she just couldn't help herself. Jack breathed a laugh out of his nose and he smiled.

"So you met Will then, eh?" Millicent then asked quietly, even though she was positive that no one outside of the Cabin could hear the two. Jack's smile quickly went away at the name and he nodded.

"Boy's the one who left me at Isla de Muerta. Took ol' what's-her-name." Jack waved his hand, dismissing his mention of Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth." Millicent firmly said her name. When Jack noticed the protective nature Millicent had of Elizabeth, even with just the mention of her name, he tilted his head.

"What is she to you, Millie?" He asked.

"She's my employer's daughter." She said easily. "The past eight years, I have worked for the King's Governor in Port Royal," Jack grimaced when she explained that part, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I helped raise her. She's," Millicent paused, thinking for a moment. "She's like a sister to me." That was as sentimental as she wanted to get with it. She knew that Jack didn't really want nor need to hear the whole story.

Eight years ago, when she first arrived to Port Royal, she was searching for something. No one was able to find out what it was from her, she would never say. It was never a real tangible thing that she was looking for. Honestly, after suffering her whole childhood after her mother passed away, and those three years after the mutiny on the _Pearl_ , she needed something to do with herself. What she was searching for was truthfully a reason to live. And that was it. Elizabeth gave her that reason. They bonded, became friends and now they are like family.

Now, she would do anything for Elizabeth.

"Bleh," Jack stuck his tongue out, continuing his grimace. "No, thank you." Millicent smiled lightly and shook her head. Despite his reaction, she knows that he understood what she meant in a way.

"It's really good to see you, Jack."

He smiled back, a gesture of expressing "you too" without saying the actual words. This really did seem like old times. Almost.

Shortly after their conversation, in walked Hector with his pet monkey on his shoulder. The monkey scurried across the room, Jack nearly jumping back at the action and dropping his feet to the floor, the creature climbing onto it's hanging bar as it had the other night. Hector walked into the Cabin silently, the crew outside doing their work easily without his directions at this point.

Crossing her arms, Millicent leaned back in her chair avoiding eye contact with Hector, but glaring at his form all the while. He took the seat opposite the pair of them and Jack stood up, although seemingly relaxed he kept up a guarded stance. Jack often did pace when faced with something or someone dangerous. Hector grinned at the two guests in the Cabin with yellowed teeth and leaned into his seat.

"Let's chat."


	9. Chapter Eight

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER EIGHT

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need and watch you sail away on my ship?" Hector laughed.

"No." Jack said, giving him an incredulous look. "I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on _my_ ship, and then I'll shout the name back to you." Jack grinned as he stepped in front of the bowl of apples. "Savvy?"

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need." Hector said with a nod.

Millicent heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, although it gratefully went ignored as she didn't want to be roped into this chat at all. How did the conversation get to this random banter? She had no clue. All she knew was that she was getting a headache. And if it weren't for her drive of making sure that Elizabeth get's back home safe and that Hector ends up dead, she would have stabbed this jeweled blade she had into her own temple.

"Of the two of us," Jack started picking through the apples, looking them over one by one. Hector observed the movement and you could see a flash of both curiosity and envy in that. "I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny, therefore my word is the one we'll be trusting." Jack sat back down and put his feet back up, feeling a little more at ease with the situation. "Although, I suppose I should be thanking you because in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have equal share in that curse same as you." He took a bite of the green apple he held and then spoke with his mouth full, "Funny ol' world, i'n'it?" Jack even then had the gall to offer the apple to Hector, and Millicent couldn't help but snicker at the act.

"Captain," the Bo'sun walked into the Cabin urgently, everyone looking towards him. "We're coming up on the _Interceptor_."

The monkey screeched and leapt off the hanging bar, running out of the room. Jack jumped back, startled at the action before he, Hector, and Millicent followed the creature and the Bo'sun out of the Cabin. Jack and Millicent both looked over the starboard side of the ship, catching a glimpse of the _H.M.S. Interceptor_ ahead of them.

"Damn." Millicent grit her teeth, glancing up towards Hector at the helm before staring at the _Interceptor_ again, wind whipping her black hair out of her face. Jack disappeared from next to her and she didn't bother to follow him. Right now, she just kept her dagger in her hand. They haven't bothered to confiscate it off of her yet, probably because they knew she wouldn't be able to kill anyone. But that didn't mean she wouldn't be able to use it defensively, or to escape. If escape was possible.

"Lock him in the brig!" Hector said, and Millicent saw the Bo'sun grab Jack by the shoulder roughly and escort him down the stairs.

"Jack!" Millicent started towards them but an arm made it's way around her waist before she could take another step. Holding onto her was Jacoby, a stout, thickly bearded man who was adept at explosives. "Get off of me!"

"Cap'n wants you in the Cabin, locked up nice and safe." He said almost sarcastically, guiding Millicent towards the Cabin once more.

"Hector doesn't give a damn about my safety. If he did, he would know that I could take care of myself." Millicent seethed, shoving her shoulder into his jaw as hard as she could. Jacoby staggered momentarily but never released his grip, just laughing at her. When he pushed her into the room, she tripped over the hem of her skirt, although she did not fall. The doors behind her were locked with an audible click.

Immediately, she punched the hard wood with the back of her fist in a rage. Ran her shoulder into it a few times, knowing she will get some bruises from the action later. Nothing was working, not that she honestly expected it to. She was just so mad, and so adamant on getting out of there. Not just because she was trying to save her best friend's life, but also because she was so goddamn tired of being in an enclosed space. She needed to get the hell out of there.

"Haul on the main brace! Make ready the guns!" She could hear Hector's voice order from above her, and she knew they were gaining on the _Interceptor_.

Dagger in hand, she shoved it straight into the space between the double doors where the latch was. Even if she couldn't unlock the latch, she would break it as best as she could. And with all the yelling and moving around on deck, she knew that it wouldn't go noticed. The wood slowly began to splinter as she twisted the blade to the left and right, pulling it out and stabbing it back in in a desperate attempt to leave.

Finally, the doors gave way and there was a lurch forward in speed, causing them to open on their own. No doubt the oars were brought out to pick up the speed a bit more. Hector always was impatient. Millicent didn't even need to look over the railing this time to get a view of the ship ahead of them, they were nearly upon it. In a shocking turn of events, Millicent witnessed the _Interceptor_ take a sharp right turn with their anchor out.

"They're club hauling!" Hector announced, barking out his next orders to the crew. "Hard to port! Rack the starboard oars!"

Everyone was rushing past Millicent, who didn't seem to care that she had escaped the Captain's Cabin, and she could hear the Bo'sun repeat Hector's orders to the crew. The next person that ran past her on the port side of the ship, she snatched the cutlass from their waist.

"Hey, that's mine!" Shouted the gaunt looking, black haired man she had never met before. His frame was so thin that he looked like he was in the moonlight of the curse, even during the daytime. But looks could be deceiving, if Millicent knew anything, and he couldn't be a part of the crew without good fighting skills.

"Sorry," Millicent shrugged, dodging out of their way when they went to grab at her. The turn towards the port side of the ship definitely helped her evade and she tripped their feet to stagger their balance. At the cannon fire, he fell backwards over the port side of the ship and into the choppy waters below. "Well," started Millicent, looking over the side before walking away. "That was easier than I thought."

Debris flew past the side of her head, and although she assumed it was to be splintered wood from the ship, she found it odd to spy crooked silverware embedding themselves into the planks. Junk was just being fired from the _Interceptor_ and it scattered across the whole of the _Black Pearl_ , not that it did any real damage to the pirate ship. Other than that, real bullets were flying from both opposing sides, and Millicent had to duck down when she got to the starboard side.

"Strike your colors, you bloomin' cockroaches! Hands, grapnels at the ready! Prepare to board!" Momentarily, all gunfire seemed to cease as the main mast from the _Interceptor_ collapsed onto the _Black Pearl._ "Pistols and cutlasses, men! Koehler, Twigg, to the powder magazine! And the rest of you, bring me that medallion!"

Gunfire resumed and everyone was yelling and making their way on board the _Interceptor_. Dagger in her left hand, cutlass in her right, Millicent stood up and took a look around, planning her way on board. Grappling hooks were being thrown across the way like Hector ordered, men swinging across the gap between the two ships. Her best bet would be to climb across the mast, but doing so would mean that she would be more exposed.

"Millie!"

Elizabeth's voice could be heard over the gunfire and Millicent whipped her head over to her left to see her. She seemed okay, other than stressed. She was still alive. Before Millicent could take a step, there was a tight grip on her left arm and she nearly tripped over the end of her dress again.

"And where do you think _you're_ going, dear Millie?" Hector asked, roughly twisting her around so that she was looking at him. "Last I recall, you were left inside the Cabin."

"And you've got to do a hell of a lot better than that to keep me locked up, you bastard. You should know me by now, after all these years!" She bashed the hilt of the cutlass into his face so that his grip on her arm would loosen, and when her arm was free, she shoved the jeweled dagger into his side. Knowing full well he wouldn't be hurt, it would at least slow him down for a moment. Or at least she hoped.

She quickly glanced over back towards Elizabeth for less than one second, and saw Jack on the ship with her. How he got over there? She would never know. When she looked back over to Hector, he had the dagger in his hands, examining the jeweled hilt and the blade. This was a constant losing battle for her, wasn't it? However, she would rather die fighting than submit.

"You really want to kill me that bad, Millie?" He asked, with a smirk. She scowled at him with narrowed eyes, as if he didn't know the answer.

Taking a few steps back, while keeping her eyes on him, Millicent swiftly turned around and went to climb onto the mast connecting the two ships once she heard Elizabeth screeching. Stopping her, other than the Bo'sun's intimidating stance and stare next to her, was the vision of the monkey, and Jack, crawling across it back onto the _Pearl_. In the monkey's hands was the medallion. It was too late.

When Jack reached out to grab the monkey and stop him from bringing the medallion to Hector, the creature had already crawled onto the captain's shoulder. Hector wore a smug grin with the golden coin in hand, and Jack only smiled back, unable to do much else.

"Why, thank ye, Jack." Hector said, looking at Jack.

"You're welcome."

"Not you." Hector shook his head. "We named the monkey Jack." And the small creature gave a toothy grin to Jack, and he narrowed his eyes. "Gents! Our hope is restored!" Hector raised his hand with the medallion and everyone cheered.

Almost everyone on board the _Interceptor_ was brought aboard the _Pearl_ , which wasn't much after the fact. Shortly after which, the mast connecting the ships was detached and they began sailing away slowly, keeping in sight of the sinking ship. All the prisoners, minus Millicent and Jack, were brought to the _Pearl's_ main mast and Ragetti began tying them to it. Jack and Millicent stood next to each other, guarded on each side by Twigg and Koehler.

She was disarmed by the Bo'sun beforehand when she realized that there was no winning this fight. Whatever this rescue operation was, it was thus far an epic failure.

"Any of you so much as thinks the word "parlay," I'll have your guts for garters!" Pintel circled the mast with Ragetti, pistol in hand at eye level for everyone, showing them that it wasn't an idle threat.

Elizabeth pushed herself out of the loose ropes and took a few quick steps forward. A blast echoed, and the _Interceptor_ burst into a massive explosion, speeding up the sinking process. Millicent's heart dropped at the broken expression on Elizabeth's face, and from the next word out of her mouth.

"Will." Elizabeth breathed out, knowing he was still on board the last she saw him. "You godless pirate!" She stormed forward and grabbed Hector by the back of the coat. He only turned around and took both her struggling wrists in his hands.

"Welcome back, miss." He grinned. "You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor."

Hector laughed as he tossed her into a group of men, who started petting and groping at her. Millicent would have none of that and was seething in fury, but before she could do anything, a figure climbed up the port side. Soaking of sea water and near out of breath was none other than Will Turner.

"Barbossa!"

Elizabeth's screams stopped when she heard the voice and everyone halted what they were doing, turning their heads. Will hopped down and took up a discarded pistol, pulling back the hammer and aiming towards Hector's face.

"She goes free!"

"What's in your head, boy?" Hector asked, walking forward, unfazed by the gun poised in his position.

"She goes free." Will repeated fiercely.

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die." Hector grinned, knowing how foolish the move Will made was.

"Don't do anything stupid." Jack whispered, placing his hands together while looking at Will, as if they had a similar conversation about this kind of thing prior to this situation.

"You can't." Will stated, going back to the railing, climbing up, and then aiming the gun under his jaw. "I can."

"Like that." Jack muttered, defeated.

"Who are you?" Hector asked with a tone of confusion. Of course, Millicent realized no one on the _Pearl_ would know who he is quite yet, and it would be better if they didn't.

"No one." Jack rushed forward, standing in front of Hector to babble and stop Will from letting them know who he is. "He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew, twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch." He whispered the last part when he pointed back towards Will behind him. Everyone ignored what Jack said while Will spoke.

"My name is Will Turner!" He announced. Hector's jaw nearly dropped at that and he stared on as Will continued, giving Jack a sideways glance when he realized he was trying to play dumb with him. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins." Jack gave up when Will finished and slowly made his way back to his spot next to Millicent.

"Worth a shot, eh?" Millicent whispered with a shrug and Jack only gave her a defeated look.

"He's the spittin' image of ol' Bootstrap Bill, come back to haunt us!" Ragetti yelled, pointing towards Will, and everyone was able to agree slightly that he did look a lot like his father in the younger days.

"On my word, do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones's Locker!" Will demanded.

"Name your terms, Mr. Turner." Hector said slowly.

"Elizabeth goes free!"

"Yes, we know that one." Hector rolled his eyes and then asked, "Anything else?"

"And the crew! The crew are not to be harmed."

While Jack was pointing and gesturing towards himself to try to get in on Will's negotiations, Millicent didn't bother. She didn't need to.

"And Millicent, she stays alive."

Hector glanced back at her, slightly surprised that she would be part of his terms, but paid it no mind. He took a few steps towards Will and looked back up to him.

"Agreed." He grinned slowly. And with that look, she knew he was up to something.


	10. Chapter Nine

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER NINE

Her green eyes were watching him like a hawk. With everyone gathered on deck and now sailing who-knows-where, Millicent needed to be on her highest guard when it came to observing Hector. She wanted to know what he was thinking and tried to get into his mind somehow, so she could figure out his plan. An island was coming up on the distance, and she knew that this was part of what he was planning.

Hector nodded to two of his men, and they drug out a large, wooden plank, securing it to the side of the deck.

"Bring the girl forward!" Hector ordered, and one of the men pushed Elizabeth towards the plank, the crew roaring at her to walk forward, off the plank.

"You can't do this!" Millicent stomped towards him, someone placing a hand on her arm to stop her. She just twisted around and punched him square in the jaw, but he didn't let go. Another grabbed her other arm to stop her from fighting. "Let her go home, Hector!" She demanded.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard!" Will joined in Millicent's protests, being held back by Koehler and Twigg, who moved him aside towards Jack. "You swore she'd go free!"

"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy!" Hector glared at Will, who stared back at him almost confused. "I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where." He laughed and then turned to Millicent. "You should know that specifics are a crucial part of negotiations, Millie, so don't act so surprised." Everyone else in the crew joined in on laughing while Will was held back and gagged with a piece of cloth so he could no longer protest. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" Hector asked while staring at Elizabeth, who was nearly teetering at the edge of the plank. "So I'll be havin' that dress back before you go."

Everyone was cackling when he held his hand out for the maroon garment. Elizabeth scowled at Hector fiercely as she fiddled with the front clasp of the dress, working to remove it from her body. Once undressed, wearing nothing but her undergown, the men were whistling to her and calling out to see more. She threw the dress straight into Hector's awaiting hand.

"Goes with your black heart." She said through grit teeth before turning back around.

"Ooh, it's still warm," Hector joked, holding the dress towards his skin before tossing it aside, creating an uproar of laughter amongst the crew.

"Let me go." Millicent growled to the men holding onto her as she roughly shook her arms around, although they did not comply. "Get your goddamn hands off of me!" She demanded louder, kicking her feet back towards their shins, watching Elizabeth walk back to the edge of the plank.

Hesitantly, she looked down at the water below her. She was visibly trembling, although from fear or lack of clothing at that point, it was hard to tell. Millicent saw her give a longing glance to Will behind her, and she knew she wanted to say more to him before this kind of parting.

"Too long!" The Bo'sun rolled his eyes and slammed his foot on the plank, shaking it. Elizabeth lost her balance and fell into the water.

"Elizabeth!" Millicent cried out, pulling at the hands holding down her arms, trying to run forwards to go after her.

"No, no, no, no, Millie. You see, you're going to stay here." Hector said, pointing a finger towards the dark, wooden planks of the ship at their feet. "Mr. Turner said to keep you alive, and although I had already planned on it, he never said to let you and your friend stay together. No need to play mother hen to her, no more." He laughed at the vicious look Millicent gave him and she spat towards him in defiance.

Jack was then brought forward, towards the plank, with a look of panic on his face. Quickly, he turned around and smiled at Hector.

"I really rather hoped we were past all this."

"Jack," Hector started, placing a friendly arm over his shoulders and pulling him close. "Jack." He pat his shoulder. "Did you not notice? That be the same island that we made you governor of on our last little trip."

Jack turned around to look at the island, turned back and said, "I did notice."

"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape." Hector thought about it for a second, then smiled. "But I doubt it." He released Jack and unsheathed his cutlass, everyone pointing their swords or pistols towards him, forcing him down the plank. "Off you go."

"Last time you left me a pistol with one shot." Jack mentioned, stalling.

"By the powers, you're right." Hector said. "Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward." Someone handed Hector his pistol and cutlass, wrapped inside the belt was Jack's compass as well.

"Seeing as there's two of us," Jack continued. "A gentleman would give us a pair of pistols."

"It'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady and starve to death yourself." Hector tossed Jack's equipment into the water in annoyance, watching Jack jump in after it.

"Jack!" Millicent cried, defenselessly watching two of her best friends be marooned on a deserted island.

The crew were rowdy with cheers and thunderous laughter as they began to set sail in the opposite direction of the island. Back towards Isla de Muerta.

Millicent watched the _Pearl_ 's crew bring Will and Jack's crew down to the brig while she was being brought back, once more, to the Captain's Cabin. She fought back less, exhaustion finally hitting her, but she refused to stop. When she was tossed into the room, she collapsed onto the floor and she realized that she really hadn't had any kind of rest in days. To protect Elizabeth, she was on high alert at all times. Only now was it getting to her, she had run out of energy.

She pushed herself off the floor, head spinning from the previous movement. The thick fabric of the blue dress was getting in the way of her feet as she tried to stand. None of her normal skirts are ever this large, so she had difficulty getting up. A hand tugged at her arm by the elbow, righting her body up.

"Have a seat." Hector said, guiding her to a chair at the table, allowing her to sit down. "You damaged the latch on my door."

"Damn your door." Millicent snapped, holding a hand to her forehead, leaning her elbow on the table. "Either be rid of me, or kill me, Hector. I refuse to sail for you." And she looked at the bowl of apples in the center of the table, craving something to eat. "And since when were you so obsessed with apples?"

"Wasn't your favorite fruit an apple?" Hector questioned back, catching Millicent briefly off guard. She narrowed her eyes at him, a golden apple in his outstretched hand. Accepting the fruit from him to eat, she let him continue. "We were friends once, you and I. Sailing under Jack's flag."

"And you marooned him. Threw me overboard. Left us both to die." Millicent interrupted, taking a large bite of the crunchy fruit. "You betrayed us, Hector, I don't want to hear it."

The pet monkey of his, named Jack, began screeching from it's place on the hanging bar. Probably due to her little outburst, not liking her tone of voice. But she just shot a glare at the little creature and then looked away, trying to ignore the both of them. There was a glint of light from the corner of her eye and Millicent looked back towards Hector, who had presented the jeweled dagger back towards her. Not for her to take, but showing her the blade.

"I consider us even." Hector said, glancing between her and the steel blade. "I tried to kill you, and you tried to kill me."

"Except I _knew_ I couldn't kill you, so I wasn't really trying." Millicent sighed in annoyance, shaking her head. "You wanted me to die ten years ago. So why won't you just kill me now?"

Silence filled the room. She had no idea why he wouldn't give her an answer for that, it made no sense. However, she welcomed the silence. She didn't want to talk about the past anymore. It was done and over with. Just because she held a grudge didn't mean she wanted to talk about it with the man she held it with. Honestly, it was depressing. She did everything she could to save Elizabeth and she couldn't even do that.

With Will being the key to the _Black Pearl_ 's mortality, Millicent was one step closer to killing Hector. However, would Millicent be willing to risk Will's life for something like revenge?

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep, arms on the table, cheek resting on her arms. Millicent awoke a few hours later to hearing the monkey chattering in the room, sobering her up immediately and putting her on guard. Hector was now standing at the windows, staring out into the dark ocean. The sun had long since set, the world outside lit up in the natural glow of the moon.

"If there's one action I could take back and change outcomes of," Hector started to speak, realizing she was awake by spotting the movement of her reflection in the window. "It would be the fact of leaving you to believe that I wanted you to die that day." Turning away from the window, he looked at Millicent, who still sat at the table.

"Are we still talking about this?" Millicent deadpanned, causing Hector to sigh. She had just woken up, what other reaction was he expecting from her?

"As I have said, Millicent," he approached the table and placed the jeweled dagger in front of her. "We were friends once." He then walked out of the room, the monkey following after him and climbing onto his shoulder.

Millicent watched Hector leave and then looked down at the dagger, surprised he had left it with her. Hesitantly, she took the dagger into her hands and then looked back towards the doors out of the Captain's Cabin, completely baffled. This must have been some sort of ploy, he must have been toying with her. No way was she going to let Hector trick her into siding with him just from this conversation, just from giving her a weapon she can't use. She just needed a plan. For now, she'll willingly go along with Hector for a while, but she will refuse to do anything for him.

Standing up from her seat, Millicent walked out of the Cabin. On deck, she could see a handful of the _Black Pearl_ 's crew members sailing. Two men at the helm steering and navigating with Hector next to them, four deckhands were mopping and scrubbing the planks, the rest were working on the sails. Although there was not much to work on, looking at the torn, black fabric. The rest of the crew must have been down in the hull, doing whatever else they needed to do, perhaps some were even guarding the prisoners.

Briefly, Millicent thought about going down into the hull to speak to Will, but she had a feeling that she would have been stopped. Especially since now she found Hector's eyes on her.

"Come to join us on deck, dear Millie?" Hector asked, back to his mocking tone. A stark contrast from their earlier conversation.

Millicent frowned, squared her shoulders, and just walked towards the bow. The entire time, she felt his gaze, as if he expected her to jump ship and swim to Elizabeth's rescue. But what good would that do at this point in time? However, Millicent has far from given up.


	11. Chapter Ten

**PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN**

 **THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL**

CHAPTER TEN

Over the next few hours, Millicent couldn't help but feel the leering eyes of the crew on her form as she walked across the deck of the _Black Pearl_. Honestly, she was used to it from her past, from living in Tortuga. The last few years it has lessened while she has been living in Port Royal under the guise of Miss Goodwin. But right now in the light of day, it was uncomfortable feeling the gaze of these men, their eyes raking over her body, hungry and waiting. It made sense, they haven't been able to have their way with a woman the way they wanted in nearly ten years, and they were starving for it.

"Don't you have a job to be doing?" Millicent snapped at Twigg, as he watched her walk past him towards the steps to the helm. He was doing nothing but stare at her instead of working. She didn't know what he was supposed to be doing, but obviously, he was slacking just to stare.

"How's about once the curse is broken," Twigg started, ignoring her question and following her a few steps, causing her to stop and look back at him. "We catch a drink at Tortuga?" The way he phrased it, it was implied that drinks were only the beginning of what he wanted the two of them to do together.

Millicent gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, going to walk up the stairs towards the wheel of the helm. Twigg followed, much to her displeasure. At the helm were the same two men navigating the night before, as well as Hector, who eyed the two newcomers of the helm curiously before he went back to looking through his spyglass.

"Don't tell me you've got a lad back in that good for nothin' town we found you in." Twigg scoffed, leaning towards her. "You ain't goin' back."

"Can't you just go away already, Twigg?" Millicent then asked, annoyed with his presence next to her.

Unexpectedly, Jack the monkey leapt from Hector's shoulder onto hers, facing Twigg and screeching in his face. Twigg scowled at the creature and then walked back down the stairs, the monkey now chattering contentedly, playing with Millicent's black hair. Confused, she looked from the monkey towards Hector for an answer.

"He must like you." He shrugged, an amused smile on his face.

"Shut up." Millicent growled, rolling her eyes at him before looking around on the horizon. So far, there was not much to see, just the deep ocean waters far and wide. In her peripheral vision, she saw Hector hand her something. In front of her was the spyglass.

"Go ahead," said Hector, giving her an expectant look.

Taking the spyglass in hand, she put down the dagger she has been carrying and put the telescope to her right eye, closing her left for a better look. Millicent looked across the horizon once more very slowly, as to make sure she didn't miss anything. Finally, she was able to spot the pinprick in the distance. In the waters were the shipwrecks she recognized from a few days ago, and the landmass she knew as the cave of Isla de Muerta. As far as she knew, they would make it by dusk, looking at where the sun was now in the sky and how strong the wind was blowing in the torn sails.

"D'ya think the capt'n has a thing for her? An' _that's_ the reason he keeps her around?"

Millicent could hear the whispers down below on the main deck, and she opened her left eye, taking the spyglass away from her face. A small group of three men were gathered together just in front of the Captain's Cabin. Somehow, they thought their whispers were quiet enough in that they couldn't have been heard by Millicent. Or even their own Captain.

"Get back to work!" Hector barked at them, causing the three to nearly run off into the hull. When Hector looked back at Millicent, she raised an eyebrow at him, her own amused smile threatening to form but she forced it down into just a twitch of the lips.

"Your entire crew are nothing but a bunch of slackers." Millicent commented while handing him back the spyglass, making sure to say nothing about what they were talking about. Frankly, she didn't even want to think about it, herself. He scowled and snatched the spyglass out of her hand, Jack the monkey crawling off of her shoulders and jumping onto his.

While he went back to gazing through the spyglass briefly, shouting orders here and there to the crew, Millicent began to think. She was starting to feel conflicted. And honestly, she didn't even know why anymore.

"Do you?" Hector then suddenly asked her after a few moments of silence.

"Do I what?"

"Have a man back there?"

She was slightly taken aback by the question, leaning her head back when she looked at him in confusion. Of course, Millicent knew he was revisiting Twigg's question to her, about having someone that was left behind in Port Royal. It was just unexpected coming from Hector.

"Does it really matter?" Millicent frowned at him. Not once in her entire life has she ever even considered settling down, the thought left a foul taste in her mouth. When Hector didn't answer her, she sighed and looked away. "No, I don't."

For a moment, Millicent considered the whispers of the crew. That Hector had been planning on keeping Millicent to himself this whole time, not just for sailing the ship. He was a greedy man, after all, that in itself was obvious. However, she quickly dismissed the idea, because she would do everything in her power to make sure that once the curse is lifted, he dies.

Hector needed to pay for everything he has done to not only her, but everyone. And the only way to pay would be for him to pay with his life. Millicent was determined to make that happen, despite her confliction.

As she watched Isla de Muerta grow closer in the distance, she equally watched the sun descend along the horizon. Time was beginning to run out. Hector made his way down into the hull of the ship, probably to retrieve Will for the ritual. As soon as Millicent saw him walk away, she made sure she had her dagger. Not having a belt to place it in, she has had to only carry it around in her hand the entire time. She would also give anything to no longer be wearing this damn dress and back into, at the very least, her old skirt that she could easily move around in. And so Millicent made her way down to the Captain's Cabin to quickly change, finding her old clothes right where she left them.

Comfortably back in her shorter, easier to move in skirt and leather vest, Millicent emerged from the Cabin just in time to spot Will being brought up from the hull.

"Millicent," Will struggled in his bindings once he saw her. The pirate holding onto Will's arm, Pintel, roughly pulled him forward to get him to stop.

"Millie," Hector held a hand out towards her as she approached. "Time to go ashore."

Millicent glanced over towards Will, who had stared on in a mix of confusion and betrayal as she placed her hand into Hector's, being helped down onto the lifeboats. She shared a boat with Hector, the Bo'sun, Will, Pintel, and Ragetti. Will's vicious glare on her was enough to leave a physical burning feeling on her skin.

"I can't believe you." He spat. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm sorry, Will." That was all Millicent said to him. She didn't want him to die, but for her to succeed in her revenge and if they didn't want the risk of the curse to not be lifted, it would have to be the only way. Of course, she doesn't want him to hate her, far from it. They were great friends, and it pained her for him to think she was betraying him.

"Elizabeth told me you were a pirate before working for her. I thought that meant you would have changed. You were lying this whole time."

She wasn't lying. Anything but lying. If anyone knew at this point how truthful she was being, it was Elizabeth, since they had the exact same talk. But this was not the right place nor the right time for this conversation. Millicent tried to tell him that through her eyes, but he looked away, ignoring her. She noticed the medallion now resting against his chest, knowing that they must have placed it on him in a similar sense that they had Elizabeth.

Millicent sighed and looked away from him, as well. Suddenly, she felt a wave of shame and guilt come over her. Things were a lot easier when she didn't feel attached to anyone, back when she was younger.

Entering the cave with the crew, Millicent walked behind Hector, ahead of the Bo'sun so that she was guarded on each side. As far as Will could tell, however, she was walking with them since she wasn't bound by rope like he was. Behind them was Pintel, guiding Will through the cave, Ragetti next to them with a torch.

"No reason to fret." Pintel started, pretending to sound as if nothing bad was about to happen to Will. "Just a prick of the finger, a few drops of blood."

"No, mistakes this time." Twigg came up behind them and placed his hands on Will's shoulders. "He's only half Turner. We spill it all!" He pushed him forward with Koehler.

"Guess there is reason to fret." Pintel snickered with Ragetti as the rest of the crew filed into the cave.

This time, Hector gave no speech. Millicent once again stood at the base of the mountain of treasure the chest stood upon, staring up at the scene before her. The entire crew was chanting for blood, Twigg and Koehler pushed Will forward so that his neck was over the chest of gold coins. With the ceremonial knife in hand, Hector held his hand up.

"Begun by blood," Millicent closed her eyes, not wanting to witness her friend's death. "By blood un…"

Hector's voice trailed off and he stopped. The chanting had gone silent, only the echo remained. Curious, Millicent opened her eyes and looked up. Hector was staring right in the middle of the crowd, as was Will.

"Jack!" Will exclaimed.

Millicent whipped her head around and saw him. Once again, Captain Jack Sparrow had defied death and escaped the island he had been marooned on. This gave her hope that Elizabeth had also had a chance to leave and she smiled, a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders.

"It's not possible." Hector breathed in disbelief.

"Not probable." Jack continued his approach, walking between everyone.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked, standing up straight, Jack then being stopped by the Bo'sun placing a large hand on his shoulder.

"She's safe, just like I promised." Millicent let go of the breath she had been holding, glad to hear that Elizabeth was alive and okay. "She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word, really. Except for Elizabeth, who is, in fact, a woman."

"Shut up!" Hector interrupted, pointing towards Jack. "You're next!" He placed the blade on Will's neck as he was pushed forward again.

"You don't want to be doing that, mate." Jack said carefully, sending Millicent a sideways glance before looking back towards Hector. What was he up to? Millicent wanted to ask, but knew it would be a good idea not to. It must have had something to do with how he got here, to Isla de Muerta.

"No, I really think I do." Hector replied back.

"Your funeral." Jack shrugged, unbothered.

Hector visibly hesitated and then looked back towards Jack, asking, " _Why_ don't I want to be doing it?"

"Oh, because," Jack started to step forward, but couldn't because the Bo'sun was still holding onto his shoulder. So he slapped his hand away and slowly approached the mound. "Because the _HMS Dauntless_ , pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you."

Oh no. Millicent's eyes widened and she looked up at Hector, the pair of them sharing a brief look of panic in their eyes. The _Pearl_ 's curse wasn't broken yet, so they would be fine. But Millicent is no doubt known as a pirate by the Commodore at this point, and she doesn't share their immortality, nor will she be free by the time she gets back to Port Royal with her true identity revealed. Originally, when she wanted to get Elizabeth back home, she would have left once she made sure was safe. Surely, she would hang if the Commodore were to find her now. As much as the Governor liked Millicent, she knew that he wouldn't be able to pardon her being a pirate and lying while living under his roof for eight years. Hector was able to hide his emotions well, but Millicent was quite obviously frantic and her mind was running a mile a minute.

"Just hear me out, mate." Jack said once he was on the mound next to Hector and the chest. "You order your men to row out to the _Dauntless_. They do what they do best." He gestured towards the crew and they all grinned and muttered in agreement. "Robert's your uncle, Fannie's your aunt. There you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course, you'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the _Pearl_? Name me Captain. I'll sail under your colors. I'll give you ten percent of me plunder, and you get to introduce yourself as _Commodore_ Barbossa. Savvy?" Millicent could tell that Hector was thinking about it because he had a thoughtful look for a moment.

"I suppose, in exchange, you wanted me not to kill the whelp?" Hector asked, looking at Will.

"No, no, not at all. By all means, kill the whelp. Just, not yet." Jack looked towards Will, who looked a little confused, but starting to make sense of what Jack was saying. "Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment. For instance," Jack looked back at Hector, reaching into the chest to take out a couple of coins. "After you've killed Norrington's men. Every." _Clink._ He dropped a coin in the chest. "Last." _Clink._ Another. "One." _Clink_. The last.

"You've been planning this from the beginning, ever since you learned my name." Will seethed, glaring at Jack.

"Yeah." Jack said.

This didn't seem right to Millicent, Jack usually never acted this way. She must have been missing something, something more to his plan. But it has been ten years, people do change. She looked at Hector before looking back to Jack as they negotiated.

"I want fifty percent of your plunder." Hector said.

"Fifteen." Jack countered.

"Fourty."

"Twenty-five." Jack had caught him, Hector was considering it. "And I'll buy you the hat. A really big one. _Commodore_."

"We have an accord." Hector agreed, placing his hand out for the two of them to shake on it. When they let go, Hector went to order the crew out fight the _Dauntless_ , but Jack beat him to it.

"All hands to the boats!" Jack looked at him apologetically, bowing his head. "Apologies. You give the orders."

"Gents," Hector grinned at the crew. "Take a walk!"

"Not to the boats?" Jack asked, confused as he watched the majority of the crew shout and make their way out of the cave.

Millicent wrapped her arms around herself and watched them go. Could things get any more complicated?

* * *

As some of you know, I normally don't like to post these things. I like to keep updates and Author's Notes over on my profile, but I know those are hard to see when they are updated. However, I just wanted to give a huge thank you to all of you reading. Thank you for favoriting and following the story. And thank you for reviewing. I appreciate all kinds of support, it means a lot to me that you are all enjoying this story. When I write things, I typically write for myself, so it took a lot to post this initially. I was always so scared and never liked what I wrote. Sometimes I'm still not proud of the finished product, but I post it anyway because I think I would never be happy with it. (In fact, I am always editing and reposting the edits as small as they are.) But you guys seem to like it anyway and that in itself is great, it's excellent. So I mean it, from the bottom of my heart, **thank you.**

-NeverEndNeverland, Jenn


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